Looking at a string of footprints left in the snow, which resembled a dog’s paws, Song Shixue reasoned that there shouldn't be any dogs deep in the mountains during such heavy snowfall.
"They should be wolf tracks," Song Shixue judged.
Song Qiming reached out to measure the size of the prints with his hands, shaking his head in disagreement. "Wolf prints are at least two or three times larger than this. Besides, there’s only one set of tracks. Wolves are pack animals; this isn't a wolf."
A meter away from the two, Song Jinzhao stood with her arms crossed, a faint smile on her face.
Keen observation, heightened alertness, excellent decision-making and judgment, and strong psychological and emotional control—these were all traits that had to be cultivated one by one. This world was far more dangerous than she had imagined.
Initially, her requirements for the siblings hadn't been so high. She simply wanted them to be physically fit and have a certain level of self-defense capability.
However, after surviving various crises, the training had to be elevated to the highest standard.
The higher one climbs, the harder the fall. With so many wolves, tigers, and leopards lurking in the world, there was no guarantee they wouldn't meet with disaster if she wasn't by their side one day.
One’s life had to be held in one's own hands.
Song Shixue followed the tracks forward and discovered several long, hard lumps in a snowdrift.
As she leaned in closer, a pungent, musky odor hit her, making her stomach churn with nausea.
"It's fox droppings."
The oval footprints, with an inverted U-shape in the center of the palm, matched those of a fox.
Song Qiming looked up and scanned the surroundings, his eyes lighting up with joy.
"A fox is good. We can use the fur to make scarves for you and Ah Jie."
The two of them gripped their bows, eager to try. They followed the direction of the tracks all the way forward.
Suddenly, a flash of grayish-white lunged out from a snowbank, leaping high and arching its body like a bow.
It pounced and hopped with its powerful hind legs, its bushy tail swaying like a feathery fan, exuding a touch of elegance as it moved.
It was a white fox.
Song Qiming quickly drew his bow and aimed at the fleeing white fox. The long arrow released with a sharp whistle through the air.
"Oh, no!"
Just as the arrow was about to strike, the white fox leaped, narrowly dodging the shot. Song Qiming furrowed his brows in frustration.
Just as he was preparing for a second shot, a feathered arrow whistling with the wind pierced through the white fox as its paws were just touching the ground.
Bright red blood bloomed like a brilliant plum blossom on the white fur.
Song Qiming looked to his side in surprise.
Song Shixue lowered her bow, her face filled with the joy of hitting her prey.
She trudged through the snow, running over to pick up the white fox.
It was quite heavy. The fur was a bit dirty and tinged with gray; otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible to spot in the snow.
Song Jinzhao’s eyes curved like crescent moons as she offered unreserved praise. "Not bad. You knew how to anticipate the prey's movement. You're better than your brother."
Song Qiming’s eyes drooped, and he drawled, "Ah Jie~ It was my first time and I lacked experience. I’ll definitely hit it next time."
Song Shixue tilted her head, showing off. "It was my first time, too."
Song Qiming’s cheeks puffed out like a hamster's. He took a deep breath and said with determination, "Again!"
Song Shixue pulled the arrow from the fox, wiped it clean with snow, and followed after him.
Song Jinzhao followed behind the two, carrying the sack containing the fox. Raising children was quite fun.
Watching them succeed gave her a unique sense of accomplishment.
As she stepped past the spot where the white fox had first jumped, Song Jinzhao caught a glimpse of a hole beneath the snowdrift. It looked as if something had burrowed through the snow and escaped.
Looking in the direction of the hole, there was an almost invisible ripple on the ground.
She leaned down and picked up a few tufts of brownish-yellow fur. It wasn't fox fur; it was rabbit fur.
Turning around and noticing that Song Jinzhao hadn't kept up, Song Qiming called out in confusion, "Ah Jie?"
Song Jinzhao walked over and held the rabbit fur out to the two of them. "One got away. A rabbit escaped."
Seeing the tuft of rabbit fur, Song Qiming shut his mouth in frustration. After a moment of silence, he said, "It must still be nearby. Let's find it."
Song Jinzhao shook her head. "The snow is too thick, and rabbits can burrow. It’s been gone for a while; there's no trace left. Keep looking for other prey."
A clump of snow fell from a tree, landing right on Song Qiming’s hat. The three of them looked up, only to see a figure flash away like lightning.
Song Qiming asked uncertainly, "Was that the squirrel from earlier?"
They hadn't even stolen its pinecones, yet it was actually holding a grudge.
Song Shixue nodded. "Likely. The color looks similar."
Just as they were about to cross the pine forest, Song Qiming grabbed Song Shixue and suddenly crouched down. A snow slope hid their bodies completely.
Not far away was a herd of roe deer, nearly ten of them, both large and small.
Song Jinzhao stopped behind a tree like a silent phantom. A roe deer that was digging through the snow with its hooves looked up at Song Jinzhao.
Its round eyes paused for three seconds before it lowered its head to continue eating the withered grass and lichen buried under the snow.
After a moment, the siblings cautiously poked their heads out.
They glanced at Song Jinzhao, and after receiving her nod of approval, they crawled in two opposite directions, planning to perform a pincer maneuver.
The fox's carcass had grown cold, and the small amount of blood that had leaked onto the sack had frozen into a thin layer of ice.
The scent of blood spread much slower than usual in the cold.
Upon reaching their target positions, they slowly drew closer. Song Shixue gave a wave of her hand, and the two of them fired their arrows simultaneously.
The deathly silence of the snowy mountain was instantly shattered.
The sudden danger sent the herd of roe deer into a panic, and they began to scatter in all directions.
Ignoring the two roe deer that had been shot through the throat, Song Qiming and Song Shixue had already released their second arrows.
The distance was too great, and the prey was moving fast; the feathered arrows struck nothing but the ground.
The siblings' expressions turned solemn. They quickly discarded their bows, drew the daggers tucked into their waists, and charged directly toward the two fleeing roe deer to surround them.
Song Jinzhao climbed a tree to look out over the hunting grounds ahead.
Roe deer have strong hind limbs and explosive speed; their first instinct when facing danger is to flee. Now, it remained to be seen if the two children could catch up.
Realizing they couldn't block all four directions, the siblings decided to join forces to kill one after seeing one of the deer escape the perimeter.
Song Jinzhao narrowed her eyes and shouted toward them, "I want one live roe deer without any wounds."
Without a moment's hesitation, Song Qiming and Song Shixue sheathed their daggers and lunged at their prey barehanded.
Due to the harsh winter, this male roe deer was at its lowest weight of the year, estimated at about twenty kilograms. However, its developed leg muscles allowed it to leap to a height of 1.5 meters repeatedly, and a defensive kick from a single leg could pack dozens of kilograms of force.
Capturing such an agile and powerful creature alive tested not only the siblings' physical flexibility but also their strength and coordination.
Song Qiming took the lead, leaping up to lock his arms around the deer’s thick neck, pressing it toward the ground with all his might.
Song Shixue pounced, throwing her weight onto its body.
The roe deer twisted its neck and struggled violently, desperate to stand back up.
Song Shixue was tossed aside by a massive surge of strength, her body slamming heavily into the snow.
Song Qiming’s face contorted as he held onto the deer’s neck for dear life. Despite the freezing winter, he was drenched in sweat, exerting every ounce of strength he possessed.
"Shixue, hurry!" he roared urgently.
Song Shixue looked around but couldn't find a rope. Looking down, she saw the belt tied around her waist. She decisively untied the knot and rushed toward the deer's hind legs.
The vibration of the powerful muscles made Song Shixue’s arms tremble, while Song Qiming gritted his teeth and squeezed the deer's throat.
Unable to breathe, the roe deer’s hind legs lost their power. Song Shixue seized the opportunity to quickly bind its two hooves together with her belt.
"Use mine too! The front hooves need to be tied!"
Song Shixue deftly reached out and pulled off Song Qiming’s belt as well. After binding the front hooves, she sat astride the deer’s belly to pin it down.
The struggling grew weaker and weaker until the animal beneath them went completely still. Only then did Song Qiming dare to slowly let go.
He collapsed into the snow, his neck sticky with sweat and his face as red as a monkey's bottom.
Up on a pine branch, the crossbow Song Jinzhao had aimed at the deer’s brainstem was slowly lowered. She jumped down from the tree carrying a sack. "Well done. Your reaction speed was very fast."
Thinking to use their belts when there was no rope showed that Shixue’s mind was sharp.
Song Jinzhao added, "You can slaughter it now."
Song Qiming pulled out his dagger and plunged it straight into the deer's heart.
The belly, bloated with meat, gave a sudden twitch and then went silent.
Song Jinzhao walked in front, carrying the sack and one roe deer with a single hand. Song Qiming and Song Shixue followed behind, each dragging a deer, leaving three half-meter-wide trails in the snow.
The flowing blood stained the surroundings a deep crimson, looking much like a gruesome crime scene.
Panting heavily, Song Qiming and Song Shixue’s backs were soaked with sweat. They looked up at Song Jinzhao’s back with eyes full of envy.
Even though the deer in Ah Jie's hand was the heaviest, she carried it as if it weighed nothing at all.
If only they had that kind of strength.
A cold wind blew the white snow off the pine branches, falling like scattered flower petals.
Song Jinzhao’s nose twitched as she caught a whiff of a strong, musky scent.
Song Shixue stopped in her tracks, her eyes lighting up. she took the bow from her arm and scanned the surroundings.
"It must be another fox, and a male one at that."
Heavy footsteps crunched the dead leaves buried under the snow; the creature was not small.
Song Jinzhao said coldly, "It's not a fox. It's large, and it's approaching."
Sensing the alertness in Song Jinzhao’s tone, Song Qiming let go of the deer hooves and stood up, ready for a fight.
The sound grew louder. The three held their breath and looked to the left.
First to appear were a pair of black, furry ears, followed by dark eyes, a upturned snout, and a gaping, drooling maw.
Song Qiming murmured in disbelief, "Don't black bears hibernate in the winter?" Why was it appearing now?
Song Jinzhao scanned the black bear’s relatively thin frame. "It's a 'starving bear.' It didn't store enough fat before winter, so it's forced to come out and forage."
Song Shixue said, "Then it must have no strength. It should be much easier to kill."
Song Jinzhao shook her head. "A starving bear is more dangerous than a normal black bear. Extreme hunger makes them incredibly perilous; their behavior becomes frantically unpredictable."
This opponent had arrived at just the right time.
Seeing how highly Song Jinzhao spoke of the starving bear, Song Qiming assumed she would handle it herself. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that she hadn't moved forward—in fact, she had taken a step back.
"The two of you take it. Whether we get to eat steamed bear paws tonight depends on you."
A famished black bear, driven by the scent of blood, tracked them through the wilderness. Having gone without food for a long time, it had already marked Song Jinzhao and the others as its prey, determined to tear them apart and turn them into the fat it needed to survive.
The bear, which had not eaten for many days, saw nothing but food; it wanted to shred anything edible in its path.
The two siblings had inherited all their martial skills from Song Jinzhao. Watching the approaching black bear and bolstered by Song Jinzhao’s encouragement, there was no trace of fear in their eyes—only an impatient desire to challenge a powerful foe.
They had come up the mountain today specifically looking for ferocious beasts. If they couldn't find wolves, a black bear would do just fine.
Song Qiming gripped his dagger tightly, summoned his courage, and charged toward the bear.
Song Shixue stood to the side with her bow, providing cover. Whenever she saw an opening, she loosed an arrow to draw the bear's attention.
"Brother, it hasn't eaten in days. No matter how fierce it is, its stamina won't last. We can wear it out!"
Regardless of how violent and savage the bear was now, its weakness was undeniable. It could only maintain such an explosive burst for a short time; once its energy was spent, its combat effectiveness would inevitably plummet.
Song Jinzhao stood with her hands behind her back in the snow. She appeared relaxed, but her sharp eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the battle.
On one hand, she was looking for flaws in the siblings' fighting techniques; on the other, she was there to protect them, ensuring the bear didn't land a lethal blow.
Song Qiming gripped his dagger, constantly circling and maneuvering around the bear. He rolled and dodged through the snow, and several deep gashes had already been torn into his thick cotton coat by the beast's sharp claws.
The biting cold seeped into his chest—a jarring mix of heat from the exertion and the icy chill against his skin.
Suddenly, an arrow struck the black bear precisely in the eye. The massive frame shuddered as an explosive pain radiated from the socket throughout its body.
After a brief, stunned pause, a piercing roar echoed through the mountains like a collapsing sea, a sound thick with fury and madness.
The bear shook its head violently, swatting at its face with its massive paws in a desperate attempt to pull the arrow out.
Under the force of its own strength, the shaft snapped and fell to the ground, leaving only the arrowhead lodged in its right eye to torment it.
With its optic nerve damaged and its vision blurred, the bear began to thrash about blindly. Two small pine trees snapped under its weight, and snow cascaded down from the larger branches.
As its strength drained rapidly, its movements began to slow.
Song Qiming and Song Shixue drew their bows simultaneously. In moments, the black bear had been turned into a pincushion.
Despite this, it continued to struggle feebly, clinging to life.
Its sunken belly rose and fell weakly, and its pupils lost focus. The ferocity and bloodlust from moments ago had vanished without a trace.
The siblings did not lower their guard.
They approached cautiously. Seeing that it was lying on the ground with its breath coming in shallow gasps, they each delivered a swift, final strike, ending the black bear's brief life with lightning speed.
Only then did Song Qiming feel the cold—a bone-deep chill as the wind whistled through the tears in his clothes.
Song Jinzhao nodded in satisfaction. Shixue was not only skilled with silver needles, but her archery precision was also far beyond the norm. In the modern world, she would have been prime material for a sniper.
As they began their descent, snow started to drift lazily from the sky. Near the entrance of the village, Song Shuanzhu, who had been sitting by a fire weaving straw rain capes, stood up to close his courtyard gate.
Song Jinzhao happened to pass by the gate, carrying a black bear in one hand and a roe deer in the other.
Song Shuanzhu turned his neck stiffly, his gaze following Song Jinzhao in a daze.
"Huff—huff—"
The sound of heavy breathing reached Song Shuanzhu’s ears. He turned to the left and saw Song Qiming and Song Shixue, each dragging a roe deer along the road.
Their faces were flushed bright red, sweat poured off them like rain, and thick white clouds of vapor billowed from their mouths with every breath.
After a moment of hesitation, Song Shuanzhu ran toward Song Shixue and grabbed one of the deer's hind legs to help pull.
"This is so heavy, how can a young girl like you drag this? Let go, I'll do it."
Song Shixue did not let go. Beads of sweat rolled down her chin and disappeared into her collar.
Panting heavily, she shook her head. "Thank you, Uncle Shuanzhu, but I can drag it myself."
Ah Jie had set this task specifically to build their strength; she couldn't accept help.
Song Shuanzhu insisted on helping Song Shixue drag the deer back, leaving Song Qiming to struggle alone against his own catch. Before long, he was left far behind.
